Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sure I would get a round of applause from my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin if we were to return a dividend. That is not the way it works. Clearly there will be a start-up year and the State will have to deal with the cost of the start-up year. It is envisaged that the sums payable by the professions will be retrospective to a degree. I want to have another look at the modalities of the start up year and how the funding will work. I think there is a need for a transitional arrangement. Expenditure will be incurred and will be allocated in the manner prescribed in the Bill. The moneys that go back to the State will be to reimburse the State for expenditure the State has had to incur in relation to the functioning of the legal services regulatory authority and the Disciplinary Tribunal. There are issues of a transitional nature that we will be coming back to.